Plural compartment refrigerator



United States Patent A s poraton, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsyl- Vania Applicaiien Januaiy 6, 1953, seria1N0.3z9`,s6s z claims. (ci. s2- 103) The invention hereinafter disclosed and claimed relates to refrigerator construction and, more particularly, is concerned with refrigerators of the type which include a partition so disposed within the cabinet as to subdivide the space therein into a pair of compartments preferably maintained under different temperature conditions. Further, the invention is concerned with refrigeratorsV of the aforesaid type in which the mentioned partition corn prises a vapor barrier between the two compartments which lieto either side thereof, and is effective to con; troll the degree of heat exchange between the said two compartments'.

A In considering the invention it is to be borne in mindV that is is desirable to provide within a refrigerated cabinet not only a pair of compartments one of whichA is maintained at sub-freezing temperatures and the other of which is maintained at temperatures above the freezing point of water, but also it is attimes important to pro-A vide anthird compartment which is maintained at' an im termedate temperature well adapted for the storage of particular types of food, for example fresh meats.`

Withthe foregoing in mind, it is t-he primary object of my invention to provide a refrigerator of the pluralcompartmenttype in which there is included a partition structure or device not only capable of functioning with= in the refrigerator asl a partition limiting heat exchange between two main compartments,` but which is also ada justable to provide a third compartmentiwell adapted for the storage of meats and the like, and-which may readily lie maintained at an intermediate temperature withoutterfrering. with maintenance of the temperatures desiredV within the two main compartments.

In the achievement of this generall objective, the inl' ventlon contemplates provision of a refrigerator which includes partitioning means comprising at leasttwo sheets or members of low thermal conductivity and atleast one of4 which members is mounted for movement within the cabinet, the members being disposed horizontally within the cabinet in superposed adjacency when only two compartments are desired, and at least one of said members beingdisposable within the' cabinet att-1a location other thanits normal location, whereby to provide for inclusion within the cabinet of aA third compartment located in an intermediate region of the cabinet, and* this without sacrifice of the thermal impedance desired between the two main compartments.

Apparatus" constructed iny accordance' with the" invention has a number of advantages, among the more important of which are: (a) it is possible Vto utilize the space within the refrigerated cabinet to the best advantage in accordance with the particular types of food to be refrigerated, that is, maximum storage space at one temperature may be provided-when, for example, maximum low temperature storage is desired-or, where less frozen food space is needed and it is desired to provide for the storage of meat, a simple adjustment results in the inclusion of the third compartment aforesaid; and

2,737,782 Patented Mar. 13, 1956 2 (b) a single receptacle may be used to contain frozen foods, for storage of meat, or to collect water during defros'ting of the evaporator.

It is a feature of the invention that the stated objects and advantages are accomplished by utilization of partie tion structure which is inherently inexpensive to manufacture and, in any position of adjustment, results n a refrigerator of unusually good appearance.

The apparatus of the invention will be clearly under# stoodfrom a consideration of the following detailed dei scription considered in conjunction with the accompany` ing drawing, in which there is illustrated a preferred eni= bodiment.

In the drawing:

Figure 1- is a perspective illustration of the upper portion of a refrigerator embodying apparatus in accordanceA with the invention; and,

Figures 2v and 3 are fragmentary, side, sectional views illustrative of the partition structure and showing said structure in the different positions of adjustment which are provided.

Now making more detailed reference to the draw ing, ity will be seen that the invention is illustrated as eme bodied in a household or domestic refrigerator compris= ing an outer shell 10 andan inner shell or liner member 11v spaced inwardly of and insulated from the outer shell 10 by any suitable insulation, shown at 12'. A pair of doors 13- and 14 seat againstthe forward face of the cabinet, being suitably gasketed to seal the same while providing access thereto.

As indicated above, the refrigerator is of the typea in whichv the space within the inner liner is sub-divided into an upper, preferably low temperature, freezing compartment 15,- and a lower main storage compartment' 16, division` being eected by means of a partition designated, in its entirety, by the reference character 17 (see particular-4 ly Figure 3). The partition spans the width and depth of the space defined by the inner liner 11, and so shaped and disposed within the cabinet as substantially to prevent the interchange of heat and moisture b'e-V tween the two compartments. As has been indicated above, and as will be described in more detail hereinafter,` the partitioning means comprises a' pair of partition members 18 and 19 which, under one operating condition, are disposed in superposed adjacency as" illustrated inl Figure 3. Said members 18 and 19 areY preferably constructed of material of low thermal cond'ufc tivity, and together provide a desired` degree of isla# tionl impeding the exchange of heat between the upper and lower compartments. A

In the upper compartment, which in the illustrated embodiment comprises space maintained at temperatures' suitable for the storage of frozen foods, there ,isi dis'- posed an evaporator 20 spanning the width and deptli of the upper part of the refrigerator and having anopening confronting the door 14.

In order to refrigerate the lower compartment,- it is provided with a plate-like evaporator 21 which deiin's a cooling surface extending vertically within said lower compartment and associated with the rear" wall'r of the latter. As will be understood without further descripL tion the two evaporators 20 and 21 form parts of a refrigerating system which includes circulating means (not shown), the system being operated and controlled in accordance with known practice and in such manner as to achieve desired predetermined storage temperatures within each of the compartments. Although the novel partitioning apparatus of the invention is of more general applicability, the refrigerating system may advantageously be of the type fully described and claimed in the copending disclosure of Malcohn G. Shoemaker,

bearing Serial No. 296,995, led July 3, 1952, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. It will be understood that the refrigerating system is preferably of such capacity that it is possible to maintain low temperatures not only within the evaporator 20, but also within the space which underlies said evaporator and is in free communcation therewith when the two partition members 18 and 19 are disposed in superposed adjacency, as shown in Figure 3.

In particular accordance with tno present invention at least one of the partition members is mounted for movement within the cabinet and is disposable therein at a location other than the normal location illustrated in Figure 3. In this way it is possible to provide for inclusion within the cabinet of a third compartment located in an intermediate region of the cabinet and preferably, although not necessarily, in a region above the position normally occupied by said members, the invention being featured by the fact that this third compartment may be provided without sacrifice of the thermal insulation desired between the main food storage compartment 16 and the space maintained at subfreezing temperatures.

To the foregoing general ends the illustrated embodiment is so constructed as to provide for relocation of the partition member 18, said member being disposable not only in the position shown in Figure 3, but also in the elevated position shown in Figure 2, in which latter position it closely underlies the evaporator 20. To provide for such relocation the cabinet is equipped with upper and lower support members 22 and 23, respectively, adapted to support the rear edge of member 18 at either of its locations, releasable means further being provided for supporting the forward edge of said member immediately behind the center stile S. This latter means may take the form of a latch device 24. of the kind illustrated, this device being equipped with a withdrawable pin adapted to cooperate with either one of a pair of upper and lower apertures or detents 25 and 26, respectively, carried by the side walls of inner liner 11.

Within the lower portion of the space between upper partition member 19 and evaporator 20 there is disposed a tray-like receptacle 27. This receptacle is supported upon suitable guideways 28 carried by the side walls of the inner liner, and is cooperable with the adjustable partition to meet several different conditions encountered in practice. In order to provide for storage of a maximum quantity of frozen food, and when the partition members 18 and 19 occupy the position shown in Figure 3, receptacle 27 serves as storage means for such frozen food. Further, with the parts disposed as illustrated in Figure 3, the receptacle may serve to collect moisture dropped from evaporator 26 during the defrosting operations which are occasionally required.

Disposition of the movable partition member 18 at the upper location illustrated in Figure 2 (that is, when the aforesaid third compartment is desired) enables the receptacle 27 to serve as means providing for proper storage of special foods, such for example as fresh meats, or chilled desserts. There is of course a substantial thermal gradient through the insulated partition member 18, and the parts are preferably so constructed and proportioned that, under the condition shown in Figure 2, the intermediate compartment 29 provided by locating the partition member 18 in the position shown, is maintained at a temperature at or slightly above the freezing point of water. Since in either position of adjustment of the partition member 18 both of the partition members are interposed between the low temperature evaporator 20 and the main food storage compartment 16, proper temperature are maintained within said compartment 16, regardless of the condition of adjustment of the partitioning structure.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that by the present invention there is provided a plural compartment refrigerator which includes novel partitioning structure not only serving to limit exchange of heat and moisture between two main compartments, but which also is adjustable to provide a third compartment well adapted for the storage of meats and the like, when such service is required. Further, it will be recognized that a degree of adjustability of the frozen food storage area is also provided and that, regardless of the partition adjustments effected, there is no interference with the temperature desired within the main compartment 16 or that maintained within the evaporator 20.

I claim:

l. In refrigerator construction, a cabinet, a low temperature compartment within the upper portion of said cabinet, said low temperature compartment including evaporator means extending generally horizontally between walls of said cabinet, an intermediate compartment disposed beneath said low temperature compartment, said evaporator means normally forming the upper wall of said intermediate compartment, and a bottom compartment separated from said intermediate compartment by insulating partition means spanning the width and depth of said cabinet, each of said compartments being accessible through wall portions of said cabinet, said partition means including a pair of members of low thermal conductivity and said partition means forming the top wall of said bottom compartment, one of said members being mounted for movement from a normal position adjacent the other member to a position adjacent said evaporator means, in which latter position it forms the top wall of said intermediate compartment, whereby said one member provides means for adjusting the temperature of said intermediate compartment without changing the thermal impedance between said low temperature compartment and said bottom compartment.

2. In refrigerator construction, a cabinet, insulating partition means spanning the width and depth of said cabinet and sub-dividing the space therein into upper and lower compartments accessible through wall portions of the cabinet, said upper compartment containing an evaporator, said partition means including a pair of sheet members at least one of which is movable, receptacle means disposed above said partition means and beneath said evaporator, and means providing for support of said movable sheet member either adjacent the other sheet member or between said evaporator and said receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,893,483 Belt Ian. 10, 1933 2,103,683 Kalischer Dec. 28, 1937 2,363,530 Iwashita Nov. 28, 1944 2,533,732 James Dec. 12, 1950 

